How to Play Ping Pong
Ping pong or table tennis is a fairly popular game that can be played indoors or outdoors. You can play this sport with two or four players. It’s not unheard-of for recreational players to become more proficient at it! Here’s how to get started, and how to win matches.
Find someone to play with, preferably at your own skill level. If you’re a beginner, you don’t want someone who’s too good or too aggressive, because it will certainly take the fun out of learning the sport.
If you are playing one-on-one, you must stand at the same line as the center of the ping pong table, to allow you an easy reach to any part the ping pong ball falls on. If you are playing by team, each player must stand on opposite edges of the same side of the table, covering one area of the table at a time.
ping pong
Deciding on who serves first takes luck. Flip a coin, call on it, and then the side that turns up is rewarded the first serve.
Hold the ping pong paddle with your primary or your stronger hand. Toss the ping pong ball with your free hand up to approximately 16 cm into the air and hit it with your paddle before it lands on the table. The ping pong ball should hit your side of the table first, go over the net and into your opponent’s side.
If you’re playing doubles, you and your partner take turns serving the ball, but the one on the right side should serve it first. When served, the ball must end up on the cross-court on the opponent’s side. In the case of an unbroken stream of the same team serving, the serve must switch to the other player after two points.
If an otherwise legal serve hits the net, the serve is called a “let”. The serve is repeated with the same player with no points scored. There is also no limit on the number of lets.
After the serve goes over to the opponents side, there is no rule on where the ball should hit back or returned. The ball must be returned before it bounces twice on the table, falls on the ground or hits anything or anyone standing outside the ping pong table.
If the ball hits or grazes the net but goes to the opponent’s side anyway, it is still considered a proper return and your opponent must return it back to your side.
In doubles, if the serve goes into the net but does not hit the proper side (the cross-court side) then the opponent is rewarded a point.
If your opponent fails to return the ball, or if the ball bounces twice on the table, falls on the ground or hits objects outside the table, you are rewarded a point.
If your ball falls on the outside part of the table as delineated by the table’s lines, your opponent is rewarded a score.
For a recreational game, you must get 15 points before your opponent. If you want the game to last longer, you can extend it to 21 points. In an official game, you have to gain 11 points first and to win you must be ahead by two points.
If the teams are in a tie, you still follow the order of service, but between teams, you must switch to every point instead of after every two points.
Teams win if they win two or three games out of the whole match.
Teams must also switch sides after every game.
When playing ping pong, make it a habit to always watch where the ball is going.
Develop a strong backhand and forehand. Strength and control over the paddle and ultimately the ball will help you a lot.
Spin the ball by flicking your wrist quickly side to side or in an up and down motion.
Don’t let the ball fly too high over the net. Keep it flying as close to the net as you possibly can.